Working at an otherworldly junkyard, making a fortune by collecting trash.

First day

Happy New Year, daughter-in-law!

Happy New Year, Brother Chen!

The two did not stay in bed; they got up, tidied themselves up, and headed to the dining room.

According to the rules of the first day of the Lunar New Year, sleeping in is absolutely forbidden. Otherwise, even if the elders don't scold you verbally, their nagging for the rest of the year will be enough to make you suffer.

"Happy New Year to Grandpa and Grandma! Happy New Year to Mom and Dad! Happy New Year to Uncles and Aunts!" ×2

When the clear greetings entered the dining room, the maternal grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Chen, and Ji Yunli's parents were already sitting around the table having breakfast.

Happy New Year! Happy New Year!

The elders all had smiles on their faces as they took out red envelopes they had prepared beforehand from their pockets and handed them to the two young people.

"Thank you, Grandpa and Grandma, thank you, Mom and Dad, thank you, Uncle and Aunt!" The two smiled broadly, accepting the red envelopes with both hands. The thick, warm feeling of the envelopes touched their fingertips.

Chen Chen didn't sit still either. He turned around, took out a stack of red envelopes from his bag, and handed two to each of the six elders.

"Good things come in pairs. This is a small token of our appreciation from Yunli and me. We wish everyone a healthy and prosperous New Year!"

The elders all knew that Chen Chen was now successful in his career, so they didn't stand on ceremony and happily accepted the gift, repeatedly saying "good" to him.

"Chenwa, Yunli, sit down and eat your glutinous rice balls!"

Mother Chen, holding a large bowl, said in a loud voice, "Sweet or meat? How about six? Six means good fortune! Or eight? That means wealth from all directions!" As she spoke, she rolled up her sleeves to scoop out the glutinous rice balls.

Upon hearing this, Ji Yunli's eyes widened, her face filled with terror.

Startled, Chen Chen rushed forward and snatched the large iron spoon and bowl from her hands: "Mom, you eat yours, I can do it myself!"

Those glutinous rice balls were each the size of a fist. Eating six of them would probably cause stomach problems! That's terrifying.

Chen Chen quickly served two for himself and Ji Yunli, one sweet with brown sugar and sesame filling, and the other savory with cured meat and pickled vegetables filling, just enough to try.

Sure enough, after eating just two glutinous rice balls, they felt instantly full, and both of them felt that they probably wouldn't be hungry until evening.

After eating the glutinous rice balls, you can't go back to your room and lie down right away, and you certainly can't slump on the bench and scroll through your phone—these are all requirements set by Chen's mother on the first day of the Lunar New Year, otherwise you'll definitely get scolded.

The villa next to the yard is almost finished, and we should be able to move in soon.

The warehouse has been repaired, but there's nothing to put there yet.

So the two of them held hands and went for a stroll in the back mountain.

The air in the mountain forest is crisp and clear in winter.

More than 30,000 fruit trees have already been planted and are neatly arranged on the frost-covered ground.

The two took out the prepared plant nutrient solution from the trunk, and carefully watered each plant one by one with buckets of water.

The first batch of saplings planted are growing exceptionally well under the nourishment of the nutrient solution, with their branches already covered with dense flower buds, exuding vitality.

The villagers weren't surprised to see them, since Chen Chen had already said that these were new varieties cultivated by the Academy of Agricultural Sciences, and it was only natural that they grew quickly.

After watering all the saplings, the two dragged their leaden legs home, collapsed onto benches, and didn't even want to move a finger.

"Did you two go thieves? You've only been out for a short while, and you're already this exhausted. Back in our day..."

Chen's mother passed by with a plate of freshly cooked dishes. Seeing the two of them looking so listless, she couldn't help but mutter a few words.

"Mom, today is the first day of the lunar new year."

Chen Chen casually tossed out a sentence, and Chen's mother swallowed back the words she was about to say. She glared at him fiercely, put the dishes on the dining table, and turned to go into the kitchen.

Lunch was a lively affair. After everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, the six elders gathered around the charcoal brazier in the courtyard. They warmed themselves by the fire, ate sunflower seeds and peanuts, and chatted about their youth. Laughter filled the courtyard.

Chen Chen and Ji Yunli exchanged a smile and quietly slipped back to their room.

Ji Yunli was curled up in bed watching TV series, while Chen Chen, having nothing to do, took out his phone to play a couple of rounds of King of Glory.

When I opened my friends list, I saw that Li Shaoqing's avatar was lit up. After thinking for a moment, I quietly logged out.

Bored, he opened the StarNet that he hadn't logged into in a long time. As soon as he logged on, a notification email for a gift popped up.

"A gift? Who sent it?" Chen Chen was a little surprised. He casually opened the email and found an audio file with the title "Soothing Song".

He pressed play.

The next second, the voice of the siren Ari Muyuge flowed out slowly.

The voice was as clear and sweet as a deep-sea spring, and as gentle as a spring breeze. There were no lyrics, yet it carried an indescribable power, like a pair of invisible hands gently smoothing out all the wrinkles in people's hearts.

Chen Chen felt all the fatigue in his body instantly disappear, as if he were soaking in a warm hot spring, and even the tension in his bones relaxed.

Ji Yunli beside her also stopped watching the drama, slowly closed her eyes, and a serene smile appeared on her lips as she let the soothing melody cleanse her spirit and soul.

The sunlight streamed through the window, bathing the two of them in warmth and tranquility.

After an unknown amount of time, the melody quietly ended, but its lingering charm still lingered in the room.

When Chen Chen opened his eyes, he felt that the world in front of him had become clearer, and even the resentment that had lingered in his mind for a long time had disappeared.

"This piece of music..." Chen Chen murmured to himself, his fingertips lightly brushing across the StarNet interface, when he suddenly noticed the sender of the audio file.

The Siren Clan – Yali Muyuge.

This is not an ordinary recording.

It was Yali Muyuge who, with the talent of the siren race, condensed the power of spiritual soothing into the melody.

Ji Yunli also snapped out of her daze, her eyes filled with a hint of confusion: "Brother Chen, I think... I remembered something from when I was a child."

Her voice was soft.

"It was when my parents took me to my grandma's house. The pear blossoms on the back hill were all over the ground. I chased after butterflies and fell on my bottom. Grandma made me happy with brown sugar cakes..."

Those warm memories buried by the pressures and trivialities of life were brought out by this piece of music, so clear that it felt like they happened just yesterday.

Chen Chen opened the private message interface on the StarNet and saw an unread message from Yali Muyuge: [Thank you for selling the song, which allowed me to break through to A-level mental strength. This is my thank-you gift.]

Chen Chen transferred the audio to his phone for 100 Star Coins.

Then I sent a copy to Ji Yunli.

"The siren's singing is so beautiful, it makes me feel so peaceful."

Ji Yunli looked at Chen Chen and said.

"I also feel very peaceful inside."

Chen Chen touched Ji Yunli's hair, his fingertips tracing the soft ends of her hair, his eyes shining with an unusually gentle light.

"This is a natural ability of the Siren race. This melody is infused with her spiritual power, which can soothe the restlessness in people's hearts. It is more effective than any tranquilizer."

"If you ever get angry while watching a drama, just listen to this." Chen Chen clicked on the audio and played it again. The clear and gentle melody flowed through the room once more.

"I guarantee that after you hear this, all your worries will disappear."

Ji Yunli leaned on his shoulder, closed her eyes, and her smile grew even more serene: "Mmm."

When the melody spread again, unlike the first time it was relaxed, it was as if tiny specks of light were seeping into my limbs and bones through my ears.

He looked down at the person beside him. Ji Yunli's breathing was lighter and slower than before, her brows were relaxed, and even the slight weariness left from staying up late on weekdays had dissipated.

Her fingertips twitched slightly, as if unconsciously hooking onto the hem of Chen Chen's clothes.

"Brother Chen..." Ji Yunli called out softly without opening her eyes.

Chen Chen felt a warmth in his heart and reached out to grasp her fingertips.

Suddenly, I realized that this piece of music is not just comforting, but also helping people filter out the hostility and gradually reveal the warmth hidden in their hearts.

"When spring comes, we'll go visit Grandma's grave."

Ji Yunli hummed in agreement, snuggled closer to him, and her breathing became even as if she were about to fall asleep.

The laughter of the elders in the courtyard drifted in intermittently, mingling with the melody as it reached my ears.